Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Picture Issues

Back before I had three children, I loved to scrapbook. I would meet up with my girlfriends at least once a month and we would eat, visit and work on our scrapbooks. We have probably 4 or 5 family albums I have created and then Ryan has at least 4 of the 12 x 12 size scrapbooks that chronicle just about every event of his life. That is up until he turned 7 which just so happens to coincide with when Emma joined our happy family. Scrapbooking has never been the same. I tried but really just didn't have the time. However, I did make her a really nice life book and have one scrapbook started for her. Long gone are the nights of meeting up with my girlfriends to work on our books. I'd really rather not even talk about all the dust that has gathered on my scrapbooking supplies ...

It would seem that blogging has somewhat taken over the scrapbooks, but that is completely unintentional. Over a year ago we bought a new camera and my pictures are much better than they used to be so you would think that would give me encouragement to get back to my hobby. No such luck. I bought boxes to sort my papers and pictures and that project only got about half way completed. I think I just miss my girlfriends :-)

All this brings me to my picture conundrum. Like I mentioned earlier, Ryan seems to have lots of pictures, especially up to age 7. Emma has quite a few herself. But while trying to get things organized for our 6 month adoption update I realized that Rebecca has very few of just her. There are quite a few of her and Emma ... just not many of her by herself. It took a few times of trying to get shots of them playing for me to realized why. The child doesn't like to have her picture taken. At first I thought it was just coincidence but then I realized that she would either turn or move away from me just about every time I would get a shot. She seems to do fine if Emma or Ryan are in the shot, well - at least she does better but trying to get one of just her is terribly difficult.

I tried all kinds of antics ... tried getting her to peak out from a tree for me. That one didn't work, I didn't realize she was still enjoying her afternoon snack.



This one not so good either, the focus just isn't quite there.

Finally a cute, unposed smile ... but now Ryan is in the frame.


The whole time I'm trying to get a shot of Bex, Emma is posing w/ her little hand on her hip or trying to get my attention to take a picture of her. Or Ryan was. Poor Bex.

I liked this one, but her little nose needs to be wiped. sigh.

Finally, this one should be good in her adoption update!

Monday, May 25, 2009

QPM

A facebook buddy helped me with a new term for Emma. You know how typing is evaluated by WPM (words per minute), well with Emma it's more along the lines of "Questions Per Minute". Believe me, the rate is very high.

Preschool finished up last week and throughout the week Emma came home with various treasures. Although an odd thing to come home with in May she brought home a nativity set. We had no more gotten out of the parking lot and she had it out of her backpack and was proudly showing it to me ... then the questions started, and this isn't even all of them.
  • Which one is Joseph?
  • Why is Joseph wearing a dress?
  • What were the three gifts?
  • Which one is carrying the gold?
  • And then that was followed by which one is carrying the myrhh, etc.
  • A long discussion followed about them following the star
  • So Joseph is Jesus's father on earth and God is his father in heaven?
  • What is Mary praying about? (in this nativity set her eyes are closed). On this one I asked her if she thought Mary might be praying and thanking God for her new baby? Her reply-
  • So why aren't the men praying?

A few weeks ago their lesson in Sunday school was about Philip and the Ethiopian. Emma asked her teacher what the Ethiopian's name was. When she told Emma she didn't know she then asked her why the bible doesn't tell us what his name was.

She has way more questions than I have answers. Little Emma ... precious little, questioned filled Emma. There's never a dull moment when she's around.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

4 Year Anniversary of Emma's Gotcha Day

Outside the sun is shining and the birds are chirping while inside it's very quiet. Brian has taken Ryan to a makeup baseball game from one that was rained out earlier this week. The girls are sound asleep in their beds for their afternoon nap after I had the pleasure of rocking both of them to sleep. Now I'm enjoying the quietness by searching for a CD from Emma's gotcha day, which I just found. Today we celebrate the 4 year anniversary of that special day in Guangzhou China, that day will be forever etched in my memory. For those of you who have been readers for a while, you've seen the video and have heard the story but I still like to think about it and share it. If you're a new reader, here's a clip I put together:

http://hunterhappenings.blogspot.com/2008/05/3-year-anniversary-of-emmas-gotcha-day.html

What a blessing she is, from the the Texas sized dimple on her adorable little face to the bright eyes and big smile that would melt the coldest of hearts and also to the hugs she gives from the bottom of her toes to the top of her pumpkin little head. I tell her all the time that's she is our blessing. Who other than God alone could have known the love, fun and happiness that one little dumpling could bring into a house.




This was taken as we were still waiting to go up in the elevator and while we were waiting 13 nannies came in carrying 13 little girls, all dressed alike. Time seemed to stand still but from what I remember there was much smiling and pointing and somehow Brian or my friend Teresa one was able to gesture to the nanny that she belonged to us and the nanny brought her over and handed her to Ryan for just a minute and then they were all whisked away to await the scheduled meeting of the families.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Field Trip

Today Rebecca and I had the pleasure of accompanying Emma on a field trip to a local Saddlebred horse farm. All of the kids seemed to enjoy the outing, seeing all the pretty horses, going on a hay ride and learning about how horses are cared for. When it came time to groom one of the little ponies, Rebecca was in horse heaven! She just has a natural affinity for caring for things, whether it's her little babies or a horse - she just likes caring for them. Amanda told me that Rebecca was like that since she was really little. It just amazes me how natural she is with the horses and how she just took to them from the first time she was around one. You would think they would have scared her, at least initially - but no, she loves them!

As good a time as the girls had though, I couldn't help but be a little sad being in that environment because it reminds me so much of my dad. He had a true love for horses and I can only imagine how much he would have enjoyed seeing his newest granddaughter telling me as we passed each stall "I lika dat horse".



Emma & her classmates ... who are so kind to let Rebecca accompany them on their fieldtrips!

The owner of the farm told me that when the little kids first arrived that they were throwing the straw around but that Rebecca went over to a bail of hay, pulled out a straw and fed it to the pony. He said he told the guys there with him that she was the smartest one there :-) Of course that tickled the daylights out of me. But really, how did she know to do that?



This guy lives with the retired horses. Seeing him reminded me of a funny Emma story. We used to see a donkey in a pasture on the way to school and church and Ryan made reference one day to the "donkey" and Emma corrected him and said that no, that wasn't a donkey - it was a "horse with bunny ears". Hmm, now I guess that's a good way to describe those peculiar animals.

The mane on this one reminded me of Emma's hair when we first got her - it stuck straight up and everyone wanted to pat her on her little fuzzy head!

Ahhh - heaven on earth. Next to the smell of a freshly bathed and lotioned baby, this is my favorite smell and touch in the world. The soft nose of a horse!

May I never, ever take for granted the beauty here in Kentucky.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Daddy Names

  • Dad or Daddy - Seemingly the most common name for a father.
  • Papa - What Ryan & Emma call Brian. This wasn't intentional but Brian thinks I may have inadvertently started it when Ryan was born by referring to Ryan as baby bear and Brian as papa bear. Regardless, the moniker stuck.
  • Baba - Chinese name for a father.
  • Paba - What Bex calls Brian!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Birthday Party Derby Style











We had the pleasure of attending a birthday party today for one of the girls from our travel group (from when we adopted Emma). All of our girls were from the same orphanage and some of them had even been in the same room together. When I stop and think about our little blessings all spending their first year of life together really gives me reason to do all I can for them to be friends and to have a relationship with one another. Thankfully there are several of us who live in the same state and can do this.
The party was hosted by the birthday girl's grandparents and the theme was fittingly "derby". We had THE best time! The girls wore their finest derby dresses, decorated derby hats, had lots of fun playing together and were also able to decorate their cupcakes.
Beautiful day & fabulous party!

Baseball According To The Girls

"Lots of goodies in the concession stand"

" Hanging out with the big girls is always fun - they think I'm cute!"

And getting to wear spiffy little summer outfits
Life just doesn't get any better!